hangover
Americannoun
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hangovers
plural
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the disagreeable physical aftereffects of drunkenness, such as a headache or stomach disorder, usually felt several hours after cessation of drinking.
- Synonyms:
- nausea, qualm, sickishness, queasiness
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something remaining behind from a former period or state of affairs.
-
any aftermath of or lingering effect from a distressing experience.
the post-Watergate hangover in Washington.
noun
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the delayed aftereffects of drinking too much alcohol in a relatively short period of time, characterized by headache and sometimes nausea and dizziness
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a person or thing left over from or influenced by a past age
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of hangover
1890–95, noun use of verb phrase hang over
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In 2022, when the Bills blew out the Rams in the opener at SoFi Stadium, the Rams were 2-3 en route to a 5-12 finish, the worst Super Bowl hangover in NFL history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
"Everything is always 100% worse in my mind when you have a hangover than in reality," says Tobin.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
The dearth of new models is a direct hangover from the industry’s shift to EVs and its abrupt pullback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
The winery’s debt hangover followed its purchase of another estate during better times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Nowadays he’s got more than he ever had in his life, he has everything but breeding, he’s freed himself from every stigma, but he sits nursing his hangover of hatred....”
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
Directed by Marc Evans, whose previous work includes BBC's Mr Burton, the film follows Effi as she navigates being out of work, clubbing and hangovers.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
What sets “Go” apart from much of the writing about the Beats is its clear-eyed confrontation with the downside of hellbent freedom—the hangovers, the chaos, the destructive relationships.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Whether that was due to fans deciding to arrive later while shaking off hangovers after the football or due to attendance being down was unclear.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
Audiences have grown up with Bridget, aging alongside her and hitting the same benchmarks in marriage, children, death, hangovers and wrinkles.
From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2025
I’m guessing emotional hangovers feel a lot like actual hangovers.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
